{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/online-safety-act-2023/section-237",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/online-safety-act-2023/section-237.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2023/50",
  "legislation_title": "Online Safety Act 2023",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/online-safety-act-2023",
  "path": "section/237",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "237",
  "heading": "Index of defined terms",
  "text": "The following table sets out terms defined or explained for this Act or for a Part of this Act.\nTerm\nProvision\nadult\nsection 236\nage estimation\nsection 230\nage verification\nsection 230\naudit notice\nsection 236\nautomated tool\nsection 236\ncapacity (of a provider)\nsection 236\nCategory 1 service\nsection 95(10)(a)\nCategory 2A service\nsection 95(10)(b)\nCategory 2B service\nsection 95(10)(c)\ncharging year (in Part 6)\nsection 90\nchild\nsection 236\nchildren’s access assessment (in Part 3)\nsection 35\ncombined service\nsection 4(7)\nthe Communications Act\nsection 236\nconfirmation decision\nsection 236\ncontent\nsection 236\ncontent that is harmful to children (in Part 3)\nsection 60\nthe Convention\nsection 236\ncountry\nsection 236\nCSEA content (in Part 3)\nsection 59\nthe data protection legislation\nsection 236\ndocument\nsection 236\nencounter (content) (except in Part 10)\nsection 236\nentity\nsection 236\nfreedom of expression\nsection 236\nfunctionality\nsection 233\nharm (except in Part 10)\nsection 234\nidentifying content\nsection 236\nillegal content (in Part 3)\nsection 59\ninformation notice\nsection 236\ninitial charging year (in Part 6)\nsection 90\ninterested person\nsection 227\ninternet service\nsection 228 (see also section 204(1))\nintimate image content (in Part 3)\nsection 59\njournalistic content (in Part 3)\nsection 19\nlikely to be accessed by children (in Part 3)\nsection 37\nmeasure\nsection 236\nnews publisher content (in Part 3)\nsection 55(8) to (10)\nnon-designated content that is harmful to children (in Part 3)\nsection 60\nnotice\nsection 236\nnotify, notification\nsection 236\nOFCOM\nsection 236\nonline safety functions\nsection 235\nonline safety matters\nsection 235\npaid-for advertisement\nsection 236\nPart 3 service\nsection 4(3)\nperson (except in Part 10)\nsection 236\npersonal data\nsection 236\npornographic content\nsection 236\nprimary priority content that is harmful to children (in Part 3)\nsection 61\npriority content that is harmful to children (in Part 3)\nsection 62\npriority illegal content (in Part 3)\nsection 59\npriority offence (in Part 3)\nsection 59\nproactive technology\nsection 231\nprocessing (of data)\nsection 236\nprovider\nsection 226\nprovider pornographic content (in Part 5)\nsection 79\nprovisional notice of contravention\nsection 236\npublicly available\nsection 236\npublicly/privately (in relation to communication of content)\nsection 232\npublished or displayed (in relation to pornographic content) (in Part 5)\nsection 79\nrecognised news publisher (in Part 3)\nsection 56\nregulated provider pornographic content (in Part 5)\nsection 79\nregulated search service\nsection 4(2)\nregulated service\nsection 4(4)\nregulated user-generated content (in Part 3)\nsection 55\nregulated user-to-user service\nsection 4(2)\nrestricting users’ access to content (in Part 3)\nsection 58\nsearch\nsection 57\nsearch content\nsection 57\nsearch engine\nsection 229\nsearch request\nsection 57\nsearch results\nsection 57\nsearch service\nsection 3 (see also section 204(1))\nsystems and/or processes\nsection 236\ntaking down (content)\nsection 236\nterms of service\nsection 236\nterrorism content (in Part 3)\nsection 59\nUnited Kingdom user\nsection 227\nuser\nsection 227\nuser-generated content (in Part 3)\nsection 55(3) and (4)\nuser-to-user part (of a service)\nsection 236\nuser-to-user service\nsection 3 (see also section 204(1))",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 237 inserted (30.9.2025) by Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (c. 18), ss. 124(11), 142(1); S.I. 2025/982, reg. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 237 inserted (29.6.2026) by Crime and Policing Act 2026 (c. 20), ss. 101(9), 255(1); S.I. 2026/689, reg. 2(1)(j)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 237 in force at Royal Assent, see s. 240(z5)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/50/section/237",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T08:51:47.656361+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}